This invention generally relates to physical therapy apparatus and more particularly to physical therapy climbing apparatus which may be continuously operated by a person to exercise the person's legs, arms and torso the same as if the person were climbing a ladder.
As mentioned in the prior art, medical research has shown that regular vigorous exercise helps to restore the body into good condition following injuries such as incurred from auto or motorcycle accidents. The present invention was conceived and developed for this purpose.
Common means of obtaining vigorous exercise are swimming, climbing, basketball, and tennis. However, many people find these forms of exercise are too difficult following surgery or a broken bone, for example. Walking is another common form of physical therapy but requires either an indoor track or exposure to traffic and inclimate weather conditions.
Because of these difficulties, various types of exercise devices have been developed for use at a stationary site such as a clinic, the home, or the like. Among these are exercise stair devices, the rowing machine, the stationary exercise bicycle, and the endless belt walker or treadmill as disclosed in the prior art.
Prior art exercise ladder devices are known. However, they have large frames. They cannot be readily collapsed for storage when not in use. Transporting requires extensive dissambly.